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Glossary of Web 2.0 Terms, Tools and Concerns: What are all these?
Initially the Internet was characterized as
a place to go to find information. It was linked with the term "Web 1.0,"
a read-only one-way medium. However, Web 2.0 is an evolution to a
read/write medium and is the new expectation enabling anyone to participate,
collaborate, and share information online using many of the tools listed below.
View Jeff Utecht's Web 2.0 video
on YouTube to learn more about Web 2.0 and how it differs from Web 1.0.
If you need some “Explanations in Plain English“
on several on the new Web 2.0 tools (e.g., blogs, wikis, webcasts, podcasts,
social networks, and social bookmarks), view Lee LeFever’s short video clips on
those topics at You Tube. Then to get started with Web 2.0, visit
Classroom 2.0, the social network for educators using collaborative technologies.
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A Taste of Web 2.0--and mostly free, too!
Here's a primer for the unknowing and those who want to take their
technology use to the next level. Read
Dr. Patricia Deubel's A
Taste of Web 2.0 in T.H.E. Journal Collaboration 2.0 (2008, March 19).
Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software, and Digital Tools
Advancements in technology, principally Web 2.0, social
software, and digital tools, have challenged what it means to be
educated and how we proceed to educate our youth in a culture where
innovation and creativity, lifelong learning, personalization (my own
learning space), and knowledge from and with the collective vie for a
rightful place.
Read Dr. Patricia Deubel, P. (2008, Apr. 16).
Crossroads in
Education: Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software, and Digital Tools
in
T.H.E. Journal
Collaboration 2.0 (2008, April 16).
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Aggregator:
"A service that gathers information published by different sources and organizes
it together under a common search interface. The aggregator may also license
access to a collection of journals from many different publishers" (The British
Library, glossary). An aggregator is a time saver. Think of it as
your personal collection agency. Rather than going out to search multiple sites
individually, the aggregator will do it for you and deposit current information
from favorite blogs and news sites directly in a central location.
Aggregators work together with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.
Look for an RSS icon on your favorite sites and subscribe to them.
Aggregator tools include:
The following are tutorials and information about setting up your aggregator
and working with RSS:
Blog:
short for Web log, "a website for which an individual or a group frequently
generates text, photographs, video, or audio files, and/or links, typically (but
not always) on a daily basis" (Wikipedia). Postings are chronological,
and unlike wikis, cannot be edited by others (Fountain, n.d.)
Blogs in the classroom:
Dan McDowell (2004) proposes
blogging
techniques for the K12 classroom
and provides links to examples of each. Educators can use blogs as
administrative tools for one-way delivery of information to students and
parents. Blogs can be used as discussion tools. A teacher might
post a discussion question or topic on a single blog, and students post
their responses. Or, teachers can allow students to not only respond,
but to post their own comments. Blogs can also be used as publication
tools. Students each have their own blog on which they post
assignments, projects, digital portfolios, reflections, and so on.
Tip: If
students each have their own blog, consider setting up a blog aggregator, so
that you as the teacher can read the blogs and comment to the group without
having to go to each blog separately.
Blogs can serve a personal agenda or be journalistic in nature. Educators might need to justify that using
a blog will
contribute to helping students reach instructional objectives and master
standards, so that they perform well on state-mandated tests. But, consider
that blogs offer the collaboration so important in a learner-centered
instructional environment.
If you use a blog, it should be an integral part of your instruction, so
that students will not view it as just another thing to do. According
to Ruth Reynard (2007), when used throughout a course, the statements that
students make while blogging can be categorized to demonstrate their
learning. Each student develops his/her own voice in the process.
Reynard indicates, "Student response statements really cover a wide variety
of "types" that reflect the instructional goals of the courses. That is,
when developing individual voice throughout a learning process, each stage
of that process is often reflected in the students' comments," which she
categorizes into reflective, commentary, new idea, or application statements
(online p. 1, Statement categories).
Advance preparation is needed, including preparing students for how to write
to a blog so that what they say is LARK, the acronym for Legal, Appropriate,
Responsible, and Kind. Julie Sturgeon (2008) provides some pitfall to
avoid when using blogs in the classroom:
- Educators should not just jump in to blogging. Before students
blog alone, Anne Davis (Sturgeon, 2008) says that teachers should "spend
time letting students see samples, understand guidelines, and anticipate
blogging and what it can mean to their learning" (p. 26). Consider
using Davis's 2006 Webquest,
Blogging: It's Elementary!, to introduce your elementary students to
blogging.
- Don't confuse blogging with social networking. An educational blog
is about collaboration and expressing ideas related to academic content.
- Don't leap to freebies. Some free blog spaces post advertisements
out of the educator's control. The blog might not be a private space.
Students might be able to access the entire blogging world and vice-versa.
- Don't force a sequential style. Blog posts appear in reverse
chronological order and valuable content might be overlooked as time passes.
With advance preparation, teachers can add structure to a blog by
designating topics for discussion.
- Don't leave the blogging to the students. Teachers need to join in
the discussion. (pp. 26-30).
Blogging tools:
The number of blogging tools for classroom use is increasing. See examples and get the how to's
using the following resources:
Blog Safety and Ethics:
Online safety and ethics must be
considered; students should sign a code of conduct. In general, any blogging code of ethics
should strike a balance between free expression with factual truth.
Ethical considerations, which students must be taught, include the need for
truth, accuracy, and accountability for what they say, and respect for
others even when students might disagree. There is also need to ensure that
bloggers keep private issues private to minimize potential harm to others.
Consider the following for online safety and sample contracts for bloggers:
Folksonomy: The word is derived from "folk" and "taxonomy." As
opposed to taxonomy, which is a predefined traditional classification scheme
created by authors of content for their own works or by professionals for the
work of others ( e.g., as for a library or Yahoo.com), this is a new
concept in which users (sometimes called amateurs) of social bookmarking systems
on the Web categorize their own information for later retrieval. Users add
their own keywords or tags to content they save, creating personalized or
community-based organizational systems. In time the community develops its
own structure of keyword descriptors to define its resources.
In
Folksonomies - Cooperative Classification and Communication Through
Shared Metadata, Adam Mathes (2004, Dec) discusses the
advantages and disadvantages of folksonomies and their potential impact
on information retrieval systems. He elaborates on their nature by
discussing two popular sites for sharing digital content:
Del.icio.us (tool for organizing web
pages) and Flickr (tool for photo
management and sharing). Note: Educators should exercise caution if
using Flickr, as some content might not be appropriate for K-12
learners. There are alternatives for Web site photo management for
student projects, which include log-in and password features (e.g.,
Gallery, which is an open
source Web-based photo album organizer).
Educause Learning Initiave (2005, May).
7 things you
should know about Social Bookmarking.
Wikipedia also discusses
folksonomies and
provides additional resources.
Modding: "a slang
expression for the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software to perform a
function not intended by someone with legal rights concerning that
modification" (Wikipedia).
Podcast: Audio-based file, essentially like
a radio program, which is available on the Web. It can be played by any
computer connected to the Internet or downloaded to play on iPods or other
devices that can play MP3 audio files.
The file can be created using a computer, microphone, free software, and access
to a web site for posting (The Education Podcast Network,
What is a Podcast?).
Podcasts and learning:
-
Podcasting: A Teaching with Technology White Paper by Ashley Deal
(2007) of Carnegie Mellon University explores the educational
value of podcasting in three ways: "the creation and distribution of
lecture archives for review, the delivery of supplemental educational
materials and content, and assignments requiring students to produce and
submit their own podcasts" (p. 1). "Does podcasting enhance education?
The answer to that question depends entirely on the educational context,
including goals and appropriate learning activities, and on how the tool
is implemented. Podcasting does not contain any inherent value. It is
only valuable inasmuch as it helps the instructor and students reach
their educational goals, by facilitating thoughtful, engaging learning
activities that are designed to work in support of those goals" (p. 12).
Podcast aggregators:
Podcast directories:
Other podcast examples, how to's, copyright/legal info:
- Apple.com Podcasting in Education:
http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/ These short
videos explain what podcasting is all about, help you create one, and
illustrate benefits for education.
- Educause Learning Initiave (2005, June).
7 things you
should know about Podcasting.
- K12 Handhelds has an excellent tutorial on how to create podcasts:
http://www.k12handhelds.com/podcasting.php Included are devices for
listening to podcasts, content that might be included, the relevance of
podcasts in education, suggestions for recording and editing software,
samples of podcast directories, and how to publish a podcast.
- Peter Meng's Podcasting and VODcasting:
http://edmarketing.apple.com/adcinstitute/wp-content/Missouri_Podcasting_White_Paper.pdf
- Learninginhand.com:
http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/index.html
Tony Vincent
presents details for learning to create podcasts: preproduction, recording,
postproduction, and publishing.
- Lorrie Jackson's tutorial at Education World,
Creating a Podcast:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techtorial/techtorial092.shtml
- Podcasting Legal Guide: Rules for the Revolution:
http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Welcome_To_The_Podcasting_Legal_Guide
- Podcasting Tools:
http://www.podcasting-tools.com/ everything you need to know
Podcast Tips:
- When creating podcasts, consider learners who might be hearing
impaired. They would benefit from a text version of the podcast that
is posted online. If the content is part of course requirements, all
learners must have access to it.
- If you use a podcast in your instruction, Ann Marie Dlott
(2007) suggests that you might use a think aloud strategy to "demonstrate
the skills students would need to listen successfully to a podcast: how to
rewind, replay, and pause to take notes" (p. 81).
- If students create their own podcast, provide a rubric so they will know how their work
will be critiqued.
- When posting your podcast, add metatags so that the podcast can be
easily retrieved. The following is a sample of metadata that you
might consider for podcasts (Boettcher, 2007, p. 3 [online]):
- Title [Your Podcast Show Name] [Episode Number] [Episode Name]
- Artist [Author]
- Album [Your Podcast Show Name]
- Track [Episode Number]
- Comments [Episode Description]
- Genre: Podcast
Social Network:
A "map of the relationships between individuals, indicating the ways in which
they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual
acquaintance to close familial bonds" (Wikipedia).
Note: In 2006, a nationally representative telephone survey was
conducted for the Pew Internet & American Life Project using a sample of 935
teens, ages 12-17, including a parent or guardian. Results indicated
that 55% of the online teens have their profiles online and are using social
networks to communicate with current friends and to make new friends.
The majority of those only post their first names (81%), but they have
included pictures of themselves (79%) and friends (66%), information about
where they live (61%) and share their school name (41%) (Lenhart & Madden,
2007, pp. ii-iii).
Social Network Tools: When you think about it, the telephone
is a social networking tool, as is group or individual email, or a
face-to-face meeting (with or without notes to document what happened or
what was said). However, below might be more in line with thoughts on
newer tools.
- Instant messaging
- Application sharing, as in Google Apps (see
Simply Google for a list of
those).
- Interactive whiteboards
- Live webcams
- VOIP, as with Skype for your telephone service, or online
conferencing programs
- wikis
- discussion forums/groups
- blogs
Safe Social Networking Sites: Social networks are a source of concern for parents and schools because of the online
safety issues for students who use them. Sites like Flickr, MySpace,
YouTube, Del.icio.us, and Facebook might be among those, as they are open to
anyone to use. However, there are social networks that parents with their kids
and educators can use in which they can create a private, protected environment
for learning, and which have been rated as safe. Examples:
- Classroom 2.0:
http://www.classroom20.com/) is a
social networking site for educators interested in Web
2.0 and collaboration.
- Elgg: http://elgg.org/
(named after a town in Switzerland) is free open-source social
networking software for educators and their students to create a secure
"personal learning landscape. "It offers blogging, networking,
community, collecting of news using feeds aggregation and file sharing
features. Everything can be shared among users with access controls and
everything can be cataloged by tags as well." If you are concerned
about it's use in K-12, consider that you can install it on your own
servers and have complete control over it.
- Imbee: https://www.imbee.com/ has a
teacher feature to extend the classroom online with class blogs and
interaction to safely guide students into social networking. Cost is
free.
- Ning: http://www.ning.com/ Networks
can be public or private. Ad-free networks are available for K-12
classrooms.
- Think.com: http://www.think.com/en/,
sponsored by Oracle Education Foundation as a free resource to K-12 schools,
provides a safe password-protected environment to connect schools, teachers,
and students from around the world to collaborate on projects, share
experiences, and build knowledge together. Simple publishing tools are
provided for teachers and students to create their own web pages and engage
in discussion.
- TIGed (TakingITGlobal): http://www.takingitglobal.org/tiged/ offers a collaborative environment
in which students gain access to global perspectives on global issues and
new options for expressing their creativity. They can engage in
project-based learning. A database of lessons is included. The
environment is under control of the teacher, making safe social networking
possible. TakingITGlobal.org membership is free, but small fees are attached
for TIGed virtual classrooms, activity database, and teacher discussion
boards.
- Whyville: http://www.whyville.net/smmk/nice is for 8-15 year olds. In 2006,
Whyville received iParenting's award for its safety features.
Vodcast or Vidcast: a video podcast
VoIP: (Voice over Internet
Protocol) is a technology that "allows you to make telephone calls using a
broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line"
(Federal Communications Commission). Examples:
- Elluminate's vRoom:
http://www.elluminate.com provides VoIP and is a free, Web conferencing
tool for up to three people. It enables users to integrate real-time
interaction into daily activities, including small group meetings and
training, one-on-one tutoring, interviewing and virtual office hours. It
includes two-way audio, interactive whiteboard, direct messaging,
application sharing, file transfer, live web cam, and more.
- Skype: http://www.skype.com/
is a free downloadable program that will allow you to make free calls over
the internet to anyone in the world who also has Skype.
Webcast: A program combining audio and video that is delivered live or
played back on demand over the Internet.
You might begin your exploration of webcasts with the following:
Wiki: Hawaiian for quick,
"a type of website that allows users to add and edit content and is especially
suited for constructive collaborative authoring" (Wikipedia). Wikis
can be organized many ways (e.g., subjects, categories, hierarchies). They
often contain a search engine, unlike many blogs (Fountain, n.d.).
For more on the role of wikis in education, see:
Wiki Tools:
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PBwiki.com: http://pbwiki.com/
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Wikispaces for Educators:
http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers offers K-12 educators space
to create their wikis--all for free and without advertising. You can
designate your wiki as public, protected, or private. Public wikis can
be viewed and edited by anyone. Protected wikis can be viewed by
anyone, but only members can edit content. Private wikis might be
preferred by educators, as only members can view and edit pages.
Wiki Concerns:
Will Richardson (2005) provides a cautionary statement about the
use of wikis: "There are no technological safeguards against a user putting
bogus information into the site or vandalizing an entry; the community of people
using the wiki keeps the information accurate by policing itself" (p. 25). On the positive side, however, best practices for using wikis in both
business and educational environments include for project management,
reducing email overload, and building a dynamic intranet, according to Jeff
Brainard of Socialtext.net (Kane, Reingold, Brainard, 2007).
Classroom
wikis are great educational tools for student collaboration and note taking
as teachers can track student postings. However, public wikis (e.g.,
Wikipedia) can pose a problem when used as research
tools. Users don't necessarily know anything about the authors of the
content, their credibility, and validity of the content posted. We
need to encourage students to use primary and secondary sources when
conducting research, and to teach students critical evaluation skills for
what they read. As educators, we are faced with the dilemma of using
public wikis as "sources consulted" but not "sources cited" (Schrock, 2007,
pp. 38-39). In fairness, however,
Wikipedia is making greater effort to ensure credibility and reliability of its
content (e.g., see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources). You’ll see
lists of references at the bottom of pages. Imbedded within content,
citations are numbered and you will see the phrase “citation needed” next to
unreferenced content. For example, look for those as you read about Web 2.0 at
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0).
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HOT:
Need more inspiration to try Web 2.0 tools?
Check out the Edublog Awards (http://edublogawards.com/)
from 2004-2007 in best of everything categories (e.g., individual,
group, new, and teacher blogs; best educational use of audio, video,
social networking service, virtual world, wiki and more). Of course,
you can then visit those sites.
Read
HOT:
Need help with keeping up?
Webopedia is
online dictionary
and search engine for computer and Internet technology definitions.
Webopedia Web 2.0
terms will help you expand your vocabulary.
The University of Manitoba's Learning Technologies Centre has
created a wiki, "Net
Technologies for Teaching and Learning," to help you keep up with the latest
on Flickr, Blogs, Wikis, SocialBookmarking, Audio, Video, WebConferencing, and
TyingItAllTogether.
Howard Rheingold (2006) has started one of the
best resources on
Participatory Media Literacy (PML). Hosted by Socialtext.net, "This
wiki-based curriculum combines texts that address the social, political,
economic, cultural aspects of participatory media with practical instructions in
the use of each medium" (PML, sec: Syllabus). Exercises combine theory and
practice for bloggers, wiki workers, social bookmarkers and media-sharers,
podcasters, and vloggers, and individuals who want to become any of those. |
Sources for above definitions:
British Library:
http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/redeflib/glossary/index.html
Education Podcast Network:
http://epnweb.org/
Federal Communications Commission:
http://www.fcc.gov/voip/
Fountain, R. (n.d.). Wiki pedagogy:
http://www.profetic.org:16080/dossiers/article.php3?id_article=969
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
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